Improvements
by Greg-sterLordErotico
Summary: Dick just wants to turn things around for his little brother. ARKHAMVERSE


**Note: Just a Slice of Life short fiction of the video game/Arkhamverse versions of Dick and Jason.**

**Mild trigger and mostly brotherly love. Also, they're just working out.**

**Also, I love the Arkham games series, ok.**

* * *

Jason Peter Todd hardly ever laughs, if at all. But it's understandable since it's only been a few months since Scarecrow's Halloween of 2015. Still, there should be some progress…

After all, the best support system is family. And Dick hopes that Jason finally understands that.

"Hey, lil bro!" He greets him cheerfully over their 'public' phone. "I'm bringing shakes, eggs and The Red Glazed for breakfast! I got super early to get them-"

"Hm." Says his little brother. Still nonchalant as ever. Dick fought not to sigh out loud. "Cool."

"Okay!" Still chipper as he rides his motorcycle to the corner where Jason's currently 'living'.

Well, currently, he's in Blüdhaven as well, helping him with vigilante stuff but also because Dick supports his brother's secret plans of house hunting, a.k.a. buying/renting safe houses. Barb and Tim are against this and are in the Phase of Plan B: Safe House Hunting on their terms, a.k.a. a permanent living space somewhere in fancy and, most importantly, more secure Crest Hill, where the Wayne Manor once stood; but also where Tim's new science division building is being constructed, close to where his other new penthouse is, a.k.a. more advantages for them to watch over Jason! Knowing Jason a little better, though, Dick knows it's not a home he's looking.

"Uh, I'm almost there! I'm parking it at-"

"I'm at the gym already."

Dick almost swerved his bike towards an abandoned For Sale House. "Oh! Oh, okay. I'll go there instead. Okay...yeah."

"Bye." Jason hangs up before he could say bye. Tucking the phone back in, Dick didn't know if he was on the verge of tears or frustration at himself.

In the end, Dick had to move forward. When he does arrive, he finds the gym still empty as it has just opened. A familiar staff greets him and tells him his companion, 'Todd Wilkins', is already at their reserved space.

"Thank you." Dick politely says as he fishes for his wallet.

"Oh, it's been paid!" She says with a smile. Staff members always smile, it's their job. But when women and gay are in conversation with Dick, he knows her verbose and body language all too well. "Please, let me get you two some towels!" She says with a big smile, sashaying her hips subtly at him.

He can only nod and grin. The staff have become smitten with him and he hopes Jason can tolerate this ridiculous situation Dick's always in.

Looking back, Jason was always...sorta envious of me. Despite the recollection of young Jason emulating his very sleek, very pin-straight jet-black hair or insecurities of having not grown a hair of beard at the age of fourteen, Dick brushes those memories away. Jason is a man now, a very different man...and his young brother who needs his support, not nostalgia.

Going inside, Dick is a bit grateful Jason was earlier. Their usual times meant they would compete for or line in wait for the private space to open up. Dick wonders, however, if Jason is genuinely into easing his way into public spaces. Social anxiety can trigger a whole other things Jason is nursing inside and Dick is hopeful it would all go smoothly.

I mean, if he didn't want to be in public, he wouldn't be here with you. He thought to himself. He wouldn't have to put up with Barb and even Tim…

"Hey!" Jason...or rather Todd Wilkins yells at him, already warming up. "Get on that treadmill! I need precisely 3 hours of workout!"

As if like the old days under Bruce's strict tutelage, the two brothers get into positions. "You got it!"

And just like that, it was routine.

Somehow, it feels just like how they used to train and workout together, inside the Batcave, on the Manor's gym and under Alfred's care.

5 minutes on treadmill.

200 pushups.

100 handstands.

If Barbara and Tim aren't always too busy, all four of them would workout. The free time they are given, however, Dick has memorized it he can practically see it: Jason would give Tim the stink eye, Barbara would snap at Jason and try to reason with him. There would be awkward moments, Tim would try to warm up to him again but Jason remains as cold as winter, sometimes bitingly so. Tim would be patient and give him space, Jason apologizes halfheartedly and Barbara would give him the usual motherly talk. Dick would praise him and joke with him, and cheer him up. He would tell him how he feels glad and asks if he's glad. Jason would flatly say, "...yeah."

Routine…

50 V-Ups.

5 sets of left, right and middle splits.

5 fifteen second L-sit tuck in positions.

Dick is more than committed to being by his brother's side. He's grown up without him, but he's not a lost cause. He's not repeating Bruce's mistakes. He had that already. But there is a nagging, fearful feeling of history repeating.

Barbell bench presses…

Cable crossovers…

Overhead extensions…

Looking at the mirrors, Dick's and Jason's movements are synchronized, as if the whole workout is a memorized routine, their strong bodies glistening from the strenuous exercises. Their looks of concentration are solely on the process.

He makes quick glances at Jason as they move, his lips curling, taking this moment of quietude as some sort of proof.

Proof? Of brotherhood? Of safety? Of improvement?

It could be...it should be.

Inside, Dick knew that they're both in this conundrum of reliving their brotherly glory days and moving on to different places at the same time…but perhaps in a different way altogether. Dick knew himself: he's a sentimental, sensitive guy; his little brother is too hardened, too...distant.

Sometimes it feels like he's not there or that isn't his little brother at all. He wonders if the hate got to him too deep that he doesn't see how much this small family loves him still.

70 Crunches…

Barbell Lunges…

Heavy Squats…

This is just routine. It's only a matter of time…

"Hi, excuse me." A female staff member comes in, with towels and water. She is among the staff who more than personally ensure their workouts are more than satisfactory. Dick is both grateful and firm in maintaining professional acquaintance with them.

"Thank you." Dick smiles, keeping his movements neutral and polite as he takes the towels. But he wasn't quick enough to take the water!

He almost blurted out 'wait he doesn't want to be bothered!'

But he missed it!

The young, pretty woman goes to Todd Wilkins! He turns, his eyes piercing and cold, while her smile is simpering…

"Lemon water?" She asks with her cheeks pink.

Dick's mind flips!

"Yeah, thanks." Todd Wilkins' sonorous voice is as usual, if not bored, as ever. He takes the cup of water from her as she grins up at him. But Dick can tell that he's not interested...or rather, he doesn't even see at all!

They know of his very low self-esteem and insecurities. Socially inept more than ever, mentally and literally scarred; the marks are all over his skin and white mutated locks on his jet black hair, forever tainted by that Clown and that Asylum, and likely by his own hand during those Missing Years.

Despite his little brother's intimidating and very scarred physique, Jason has a rugged appeal, and Dick and this staff member-Mia, as he can see on her tag now-both agree!

"Will there be anything, sir?" Mia the staff member asks politely, tilting her head to show off her pretty and sculpted features. Petite and slender, Dick suspects she probably has an online album full of very beautiful pictures of herself and would probably want to exchange usernames with poor 'Todd Wilkins', as a start of something new.

Dick prepares himself for the inevitable answer…

"No." Another sonorous tone and 'Todd' walks off to the men's room.

With a polite nod, Mia takes the hint-or rather, lack of any hints-and exits the room. Dick hisses in sympathy and pain, and sighs.

They do a cool down routine and move on to stretching. It's been exactly three hours and ten minutes since they started, and now they're starting their late breakfast. As they munch quietly on The Red Glazed, Dick observes his little brother. Jason always chewed his food slowly, sometimes in deep thought, but oftentimes glaring across the table at Dick for being bested at a video game or at training.

"...what?" Jason asks without looking at his brother.

Dick shrugs. "I don't think I thanked you for being the earlier bird."

Jason abruptly stops chewing and, from here, gears are turning. It's like those simulated choices in video games: will he remain nonchalant and quiet? Will he snap, likely angrily at him, for being a slowpoke? Will it be entirely something new?

It seemed he chose to remain quiet as he continued to chew, and so Dick drops it, smiling and taking a sip of their protein shake.

"You're fucking welcome, Calvin Klein…" He snaps in a low, cussed tone. "On the next date, I'll pick you up."

And from here, Dick laughs! It earned him a malevolent look from Jason, but Dick was taking it all! "Sorry! Oh man! It's been a while since you insulted me! It feels like...normal again!"

An angry huff comes out of Jason as he angrily stuffs his Red Glazed inside its wrappers, crushing the baked contents! Dick is still apologizing, but soon finds himself in a wrestling lock under his heavier, little brother.

It was almost like the old days. There're still work to be done. Dick had to work on not triggering his brother again, but as he barely escapes from Jason's Gogoplata hold, he realizes he needs to work on his wrestling and submission techniques as well!

Their private room's door opens and the two brothers have to face the music of being found out by a staff member that they're tussling, with 'Todd Wilkins'' very colorful diction flowing out of his lips.

But Dick finds himself free from the Armbar as 'Todd' lets him go and looks up at their unknown visitor.

"Oh, sorry." Another woman, plump in appearance, very petite and with beautiful, exotic features, looks at them apologetically. "Wrong room." She bows nervously, her brown curls of hair bouncing and goes back to the door.

"No worries!" 'Todd' replies after her, who turns around with a small smile before she exits.

Dick grins at him and Jason's amiable expression turns sour again. He couldn't help but tease his little brother. "Oh! You like them round and thick, huh?"

"At least I don't have weird kinks on red haired people!"

And just like that, they fall back to old brotherly routine. Different, yet there was nothing about pain, social anxiety, anger, or that stinging ache of regret, except Dick's whole body becoming sore from their sparring.

Jason Peter Todd hardly ever laughs, but today, Dick grins through the pain of going through a submission hold, as he hears his little brother laugh...well, snicker at being victorious.

There are room for improvements, anyway.


End file.
